What Happens In English
by oreocookiepup101
Summary: Bella and Edward are cast as Romeo and Juliet in their English class play. Bella has hated Edward since he started ignoring her a few years back. Will they realize that they have feelings for each other? All human. Please R
1. Romeo and Juliet

**Chap 1:**

**Bella's POV**

I walked into my eighth period honors English class excited to find out what our latest bit of reading material would be. I considered myself to be the "perfect student". I was in every honors class, got straight A's, was never late and took extra classes. In fact, I was pretty sure that with the way my high school life was going, I would soon be studying in the famous classrooms that made up the ivy-league colleges. My parents (Charlie and Renee) and I had been dreaming of Stanford University in California my entire life.

English was my favorite class. I was, as my father nicknamed me, a "bookworm". I was quiet, reserved and tended to stay away from the social scene.

One thing about Forks High that makes it unique is that to be popular, you don't just have to look good, play sports and wear the right clothes, you also (if you're a girl) need to be smart. The smarter you are the better. The most popular girls in my grade play lacrosse, wear designer clothes, have perfect hair and are in at least one honors class! I was far from the popular crowd.

My best (and nearly only) friend Angela waved to me as I walked into the classroom. I sat down beside her and we began to whisper quietly. Mostly we talked about books or school related topics, and today was no different. We were discussing the World History test we had taken a few periods before.

"Henry VIII beheaded Anne Boleyn…right?" Angela asked quietly.

"Yeah," I told her and added a question of my own, "The Black Death came from China, right?"

"I think so…" her forehead wrinkled, "But I wasn't sure about that one either."

Our dialogue was cut off when our energetic English teacher, Miss Boechline, walked in. She began to pass paper-back books around the room. I glanced at the book in front of me, and began to feel excited when I saw the title: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

"We are not only going to be reading and deeply discussing this classic tragedy," she began, "We are going to perform it in front of all your classmates!" She paused to scan our reactions, "Now please open your notebooks to the Shakespeare notes that we took yesterday."

She passed around a quick and easy pop-quiz and soon she had us open our books.

"Now, every girl in the class will try out for Juliet and every boy will try out for Romeo…we will start now," Miss Boechline scanned the room, "Edward Cullen, you will read Romeo's lines and…Bella Swan will read Juliet's! Start at Act II: Scene II line 35."

Reading with Edward was going to be interesting. Edward Cullen was very intelligent, but extremely popular. He was the leading athlete in the school and was also in every last one of my honors classes. His father was the town doctor. Edward and I used to be friends, not exactly close, but recently we had drifted apart and he began to be plain rude to me. As far as I was concerned, I hated Edward Cullen.

I read: " _O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?_

_Deny thy father and refuse thy name._

_And I'll no longer be a Capulet_."

Edward read: _" Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"_

I continued: "_'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;_

_What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot_

_Nor arm nor face nor any other part _

_Belonging to a man. O be some other name,_

_What's in a name? That which we call a rose_

_By any other word would smell as sweet._

_So Romeo would, where he not Romeo called,_

_Retain that dear perfection which he owes_

_Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,_

_And for that name, which is no part of thee,_

_Take all myself."_

He continued: "_I take thee at thy word._

_Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized:_

_Henceforth I never will be Romeo_."

I feigned surprise: "_What man art thou that thus be screened in night_

_So stumblest on my councel?"_

He looked at me: _"By name_

_I know not how to tell thee who I am:_

_My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself_

_Because it is an enemy to thee._

_Had I it written, I would tear the word._

My mouth fell open in shock, Edward Cullen could _read_ well…really well. It felt as if her was actually in love with me! The class must have felt it too because it took them a minute to gather their senses and we were showered with applause, that I was sure was more for Edward than for myself. Miss Boechline just smiled to herself, as if she knew something that I didn't. I made a mental note to talk to her after class. Angela smiled at me as I gratefully sank back into my seat, my cheeks flaming red.

Miss Boechline called on Angela and Ben to read next. It seemed to me that none of the other groups got the same amount of applause of the secret smile as Edward and I had received. Great, now we were going to be stuck as the leads! I felt Edward's eyes on my back for the rest of the period, he must have been upset that we were going to be starring in the play together. Well at least neither of us would enjoy it. The bell rang, and I nearly ran out of the room with Angela in pursuit, completely forgetting to talk to Miss Boechline.


	2. Saved by the Bell?

**Thanks for all the reviews!! I'm glad you all enjoy this story so much. Unfortunately, because of school I'm not going to be able to update very often…please don't be upset!!! : ) Keep reviewing!!!!**

**Chap 2:**

**Bella's POV**

Miss Boechline passed around the cast list during English the next day. I could see that Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley were upset, so they probably didn't get leading roles. Unfortunately, they were glaring directly at me. I got the list and checked it:

_**Cast List:**_

_**Prince-**__Eric Yorkie_

_**Romeo-**__Edward Cullen_

_**Juliet-**__Bella Swan_

_**Nurse-**__Angela Weber_

_**Paris-**__Jake Black_

_**Lady Capulet**__-Leah Clearwater_

_**Capulet- **__Sam Uley _

_**Lady Montague**__- Alice Cullen_

_**Montague- **__Jasper Hale__**Mercutio- **__Emmett Cullen_

_**Benvolio- **__Ben Cheney_

_**Chorus-**__Rosalie Hale_

_**Capulet Servants-**__ Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton and Lauren Mallory_

_**Montague Servants- **__Embry Call and Quil Ateara_

I was, most unfortunately, going to have to play Juliet. I could feel stares heavily weighted on my back and flushed as I walked up to Miss Boechline.

"Would it be possible to change my part?" I asked her, looking down at my plain brown suede boots.

"Absolutely not!" she whispered back, looking up from a stack of papers that she had been sorting through, "Bella, you and Edward have a chemistry that make playing the roles of Romeo and Juliet absolutely perfect…You saw how much the class enjoyed your performance, the whole school will feel the same way." She returned to her papers and I knew it was my cue to return to my seat.

Angela looked at me, "So you and Edward?"

"Yeah right!" I scoffed at her, but my cheeks grew red, "Angela, I hate him! He's a rude, arrogant, self-centered, jerk whom I would never in a million years even be friends with!" I turned around and opened my play. I jumped out of my skin when I heard a musical laugh from behind me. I turned around and blushed when I saw myself staring into Edward's green eyes.

"Rude, arrogant, self-centered jerk?" he laughed again, but it was completely without humor.

"Well yeah!" I whispered back, "You completely ditched me two years ago when you joined the lacrosse team! You haven't talked to me since!"

"I did try, Bella!" his eyes looked sad as he said this, "But you wanted nothing to do with me!"

He turned and walked away. Thankfully, the bell rang so I was able to rush out of class and fall on my face in the hall.

**Edward's POV:**

I never realized that I could have had feelings for my childhood acquaintance until the day before when we were reading our lines together in English class. Miss Boechline had this smug little smile on her face when she read my name and Bella Swan's to begin the class try-outs for roles in Romeo and Juliet. We had read and it was like somehow we were connected. It was no shock to me when I read the list and saw that Bella and I were cast as the leading roles.

I watched Bella as she got the list, eager to see how she'd react. I was disappointed because she simply didn't react. I watched her back, her curly brown hair, her big brown eyes that seemed endless, her pale skin and the big bruise on her elbow from when Mike Newton, the biggest jerk in the school, hit her in the elbow with a volley ball. I had never actually realized it before, but I had sort of appointed myself to be Bella's protector for as long as I had known her. Our parents were good friends so we often played together when we were little. I would run beside Bella, even though I could run faster, and grab her elbow whenever she started to fall. In high school protecting her was more habit to me than anything else, when Mike wound up to hit her in dodge ball I'd jump in front of the ball, it was nothing…just habit. I'd thought that until the day of the fated Romeo and Juliet try outs and now I was beginning to think it was something more.

The list had made it's rounds and I saw Bella get up and start talking to Miss Boechline, who just smiled, said something, and returned to her papers. I got up and started walking from the back of the classroom where I sat with my adopted siblings Alice and Emmett and their boyfriend and girlfriend (who were ironically sister and brother) Jasper and Rosalie. Actually, our dad had been dating their foster mom for a while so we were all pretty sure we'd be some form of a step family.

I saw Bella talking to Angela and hurried up as I approached them.

"So you and Edward?" I heard Angela ask, and smiled to myself at the unexpected thought that I well…_liked_.

"Yeah right!" Bella said, "Angela, I hate him! He's a rude, arrogant, self-centered, jerk whom I would never in a million years even be friends with!"

It felt like I'd been hit in the gut with something hard and sharp and well, a major torture device. Bella turned back to her play and I laughed behind her.

"Rude, arrogant, self-centered jerk?" I asked, laughing a completely humorless laugh. Bella turned around, her big brown eyes boring into mine.

"Well yeah!" she whispered back, "You completely ditched me two years ago when you joined the lacrosse team! You haven't talked to me since!"

I thought back to the day I made the lacrosse team, nowhere in that memory did I ever consider ditching Bella.

"I did try, Bella!" I told her, feeling like I might cry, "But you wanted nothing to do with me!"

Unfortunately, the bell rang so Bella ran out of the classroom. I picked up my stuff and headed out the door. I was just in time to see Mike, Jessica and Lauren corner Bella.

"So you and Cullen?" Jessica asked snidely.

"Please!" Lauren scoffed, "Why would _he_ do anything with _her_!" They all started laughing. Bella's eyes filled with tears.

"Excuse me?" I asked feigning politeness, "Bella, I thought I was walking you to gym?"

She only nodded and we started to walk away. It's just habit, I kept thinking to myself, hoping that I would actually end up believing it.


	3. Saints' Lips

**Chap. 3:**

**Bella's POV:**

'I used to think that I was in love with Edward Cullen,' I thought to myself as I walked into English the next day. The thought completely took me by surprise, but it was true. In second grade, a sweet little boy had joined our class and I developed a kind of crush on him. It lasted all the way to ninth grade, after he had broken my heart multiple times by 'dating' different girls. It was then that I realized that Edward Cullen never would, never _could_ like me in that way. So I gave up on him, I threw myself into schoolwork and became top in my class. That was when I began to hate Edward Cullen.

But now I was realizing that I could show my true emotions for Edward in my acting. Not as Bella, but as the lovesick Juliet. For once, Edward was my, no Juliet's, Romeo.

Miss Boechline pulled Edward and I aside at the beginning of class.

"We're not going to rehearse for the play during class this week, so I'll need you both after school every day for the week, will that be alright? Romeo and Juliet need to work on their lines alone, you know get over the awkward feelings of acting all lovey dovey when you don't actually feel that way…"

I was getting ready to nod when I remembered my ancient truck was in the shop getting something fixed (I'm not really one for mechanical talk), "I don't have my truck right now…"

Edward looked at me, "I'll take you home after school."

I was stunned, Edward Cullen had just volunteered to take me, Little Ole Bella, home from school for a week! Miss Boechline smiled to herself.

"Thank you," I whispered, before I returned to my seat. We began reading more of the play and I was beginning to think that this play might be destined to bring Edward and I closer together.

**That Afternoon:**

I walked into the auditorium and took out my cell.

"Hey, dad?" I asked when he picked up.

"What is it Bells?" he asked, sounding worried.

"It's no biggie, but I need to stay after school today for English class…Edward Cullen is taking me home," I told him.

"Cullen huh?" he asked, it sounded like an _Is my daughter dating without talking to me_ kind of voice.

"Dad, it's nothing. He volunteered to drive me home because otherwise we couldn't rehearse the English play…alright?" I told him in my most practical voice, even though every ounce of my being was begging for Edward to have volunteered not out of chivalry but out of love. The thoughts in my head, that I had worked so hard long ago to push back, surprised me.

"Alrighty then Bella," Charlie told me, still sounding unsure, "Talk to you later baby."

We hung up and I put my bag down and headed for the stage.

"Bella!' Miss Boechline called, "I saw this dress at a costume store and couldn't resist. I got stuff for Edward too. They looked about your size and I can do any alterations myself."

She pushed me into a dressing room and I changed into the dress. It was amazing. The dark blue faux velvet made my pale skin glow, made my brown eyes soften, and it was completely flattering to my lack of figure. It hung off me in all the right places, making me look…good. Miss Boechline knocked and plaited my hair into a lose braid that hung to my side.

She smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Juliet."

I walked out on stage and gasped when I saw Edward. He looked incredible. The open shirt and loose breeches made him look like a true Renaissance man.

He smiled and bowed, "Lady Juliet."

I giggled and curtsied to him, "Lord Romeo."

Miss Boechline walked on and handed us scripts.

"We'll start at Act I, Scene V line 105. Edward you're holding Bella's hands," she told us.

Edward began, "_Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"_

I read, "_Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."_

He read, "_O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!_

_They pray. Grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."_

I read, "_Saints do not move, though grant for prayer's sake."_

He read, "_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take…"_

Then he kissed me, on the lips and really gently. I blushed and looked up.

He looked into my eyes for what seemed like hours before finishing his lines.

He read, "_Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged."_

I read, "_Then my lips have the sin that they have took."_ I could feel Juliet's need to be kissed again.

He read, "_Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged!_

_Give me my sin again."_ And he kissed me again.

This time, it was a longer, toe curling kiss and he didn't stop until Miss Boechline cleared her throat.

"I think that's enough for today," she said with a smile.

Edward grabbed my hand as I began walking to the opposite side of the stage.

"You look amazing," he whispered, his eyes lingering on my bare shoulders, "Just amazing."

I blushed and hurried to my dressing room.

So many questions were rushing through my head.

_Was Edward Cullen falling for me?_

_Was I falling for Edward Cullen?_

_And what did Miss Boechline's smiles mean?_

I was so confused and it seemed like there were no answers to any of my questions. Also, it appeared that I actually might be enjoying this play.


	4. Awkward Moments

**Thanks for all the great reviews!!! I'm glad that so many of you enjoy this, it is really fun to write too!!! I just wanted to let you all know that I won't be able to post so often because of school!!! Please enjoy and don't be mad if it's not updated for a while!!! : )**

**Chap 4:**

**Edward's POV:**

The entire ride to Bella's house was incredibly awkward. How could I possibly explain to her all the things that I was thinking when I kissed her. She must hate me for kissing her so long. I ran a hand through my hair and looked over at her. She was sitting with her legs curled under her, leaning her head against the window. She was beautiful. Not like the way she looked in that dress., but in a simple way. She wore no make up and didn't wear all of those "cool" clothes that most girls did. Bella was herself and I really liked that.

I don't know what happened, we used to be friends, but then she started hating me. She ignored my phone calls, deleted my emails and snubbed me in the halls. So when she was ready to be friends again the next year, I did the same to her. I knew that I couldn't handle the hurt that came with her walking away. I wasn't ready to be hurt that horribly again.

Bella looked at me, her brown eyes so deep I thought I would drown in them. 

"Edward?" her tiny voice rang in the silence of the car, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I told her, "I just might not answer!"

Her serious eyes lit up a bit at my joke, "What did you mean, 'I looked beautiful'?"

I looked at her, yeah she was serious, "You have got to be kidding me Bella. Didn't Miss Boechline let you look in a mirror?"

She nodded, "Yeah, but it wasn't anything special…I'm not really that pretty…"

I pulled the car over on the side of the rode.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" I hissed at her, glaring at her now trembling figure, "You are far from being pretty…you're beautiful and if you saw yourself in that mirror then you were bound to see what I did!"

I pulled the car back onto the rode, ignoring the tears in her eyes. 

I couldn't stop myself from going back to the moment she walked on stage. Her cheeks slightly pink, perhaps from the heat or perhaps because she was embarrassed. The dress hung off her tiny shoulders, making her look so delicate. The fabric clung to her in all the right places and it showed just enough skin. It rustled where it flared down from the tight bodice that ended at her hips. Her hair hung in a braid down her shoulder. I couldn't stop staring. 

I cursed my dang photographic memory. It was great for tests and schoolwork. But with Bella it was my downfall. I could remember how she looked nearly every day I saw her and it was an agony I could hardly bear. For so long I had hid the way I truly felt about her, knowing that I was nowhere near good enough for her, that I had forgotten what it felt like to be honest and open with her.

She was still crying in the front seat.

"Bella?" I asked her.

"What!" she snapped at me.

"Look, I'm sorry!" I told her, "I kind of freaked when you did yourself a total injustice!" I swallowed, knowing injustice was an understatement.

"I don't feel like arguing right now," she told me.

"Neither do I," I whispered back, loving the way she blushed when I did so.

"Do you, um, want to come in?" she asked quietly, "Charlie won't be home until 7 the earliest…and he won't mind."

I nodded, it was 4 and I wasn't very eager to leave her just yet. She climbed out of my Volvo and I followed her. I watched her fumble with her keys before she opened the door. She flicked on a light. 

"I'm just going to put my books down," she told me, "I'll be right back."

I nodded and started looking around her house. It was small and slightly manly, but I could see that Bella was starting to add some feminine touches that it was definitely missing. The pictures hung straight on the wall, pretty dish towels lay neatly piled beside the sink, but the thing that caught his eye were the flowers. They were everywhere. In every window, on every table…where ever there was empty space. And they were beautiful. I saw orchids, roses, hydrangeas, daisies and so many other kinds that I couldn't name. The flowers gave the house the most beautiful perfume that smelled like Bella.

Bella walked down the stairs then and saw me smelling the flowers, she blushed.

"These are beautiful!" I told her in awe.

"Thanks," she blushed deeper, "Charlie says I have a green thumb!"

"You grew all of these?" I asked, still awed by their beauty.

"Yeah, it's sort of a hobby," she answered, looking at her feet.

I nodded, "It's incredible. You have such patience."

She blushed, "Hey…I have the movie Romeo and Juliet if you want to watch it?"

I nodded and she led me to her living room. I sat on the couch in front of the TV and watched her. She ran her fingers over the organized stack of DVD's that appeared to be in alphabetical order. She put the DVD in and came to sit next to me.

If you have ever tried to watch a movie with a girl who you really like, then you will understand how I felt. It was as if every fiber of my being was being pulled towards her and just begging me to take her hand. She seemed to be a little tense on the other end of the couch too, but she relaxed a bit and curled into a ball, her feet in my lap. It was definitely awkward, but I wouldn't have traded a second of it for anything. All too soon the movie was over and I had to go home.


	5. Love Triangle

**Thank you for all the reviews!!! I'm glad that you all like this story so much!!! And I would like to apologize for how long it took me to write this!! Please let me know if you want more Bella-Jacob!!! : )**

**Chap. 5:**

**Bella's POV:** I walked into Miss Boechline's class the day after our first rehearsal mentally beating myself up. I had let down all of the walls that I had so carefully constructed over the years. The walls full of icy hatred towards Edward Cullen fell after a few hours with him. I hated him, or I thought I did. It had been so long since I had ever let myself feel anything besides hate towards him and I was not yet ready to let my walls down.

Edward walked up to me as soon as class began, buying me many confused and envious glances from various people in the room, a few were even excited.

"So, Juliet…are we on again for this afternoon?" he asked.

"Yes," I hissed before turning to Angela to discuss some points on Queen Elizabeth that I found quite interesting.

Miss Boechline cleared her throat for class to begin.

"Yesterday, I began to work with Bella and Edward on their lines in the play…today I would like to try some lines with other characters. Could Lord and Lady Capulet and Paris please come to the front of the room?"

Leah Clearwater, Sam Uley and Jake Black all walked up to the front of the room. I had been best friends with Jake when I was a kid, but recently he had told me that he wanted to be more than just friends. I felt bad for him, I really did like him (and still do) it's just I don't _like_ like him. Jake winked at me as he walked up and suddenly it was like I really _was _poor Juliet, stuck in the middle of a love triangle.

Angela smiled at me before she raised her hand.

"Yes Angela?" Miss Boechline asked her.

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed but at the beginning of Acts I and II there is the Prologue…who is reading that?"

"Good question Angela!" Miss Boechline answered, smiling at her, "I'm glad that you picked up on that. I was planning on doing the part myself, but now I think that you should play the part!"

Angela turned very red, "Oh no! I couldn't Miss Boechline!"

"Don't be silly Angela!" Miss Boechline laughed, "You read most beautifully and would make a perfect Chorus."

Angela was still red, but she simply nodded. It was as if all of her fear that had pushed her to even refuse a teacher was gone, replaced by her normal shyness. She sank low in her seat and knowing Angela as well as I did, she was probably cursing herself for ever speaking up. I made a mental note to comfort her after class. I mean who would know better than the girl who definitely did not want to be Juliet?

Sam began to read: "_Things have fallen out sir, so unluckily_

_That we have no time to move our daughter._

_Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly,_

_And so did I. Well, we were born to die._

'_Tis very late. She'll not come down tonight._

_I promise you, but for your company,_

_I would have been abed an hour ago."_

Jake began: "_These times of woe afford no times to woo._

_Madam, good night. Commend me to your daughter."_

Leah read: "_I will, and know her mind early tomorrow._

_Tonight she's mewed up to her heaviness."_

Sam started: "_Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender_

_Of my child's love. I think she will be ruled_

_In all respects by me; nay, more, I doubt it not._

_Wife, go you to her ere you go to bed,_

_Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love,_

_And bid her-mark you me?-on Wednesday next_

_But soft-what day is this?"_

Jake added: "_Monday my lord."_

Sam again: _"Monday! Ha ha! Well, Wednesday is too soon._

_A Thursday let it be, a Thursday, tell her,_

_She shall be married to this noble earl._

_Will you be ready? Do you like this haste?_

_We'll keep no great ado-a friend or two._

_For, hark you, Tybalt being slain so late,_

_It may be thought we held him carelessly._

_Being out kinsman, if we revel much._

_Therefore we'll have some half a dozen friends_

_And there an end. But what say you to Thursday?"_

Jake answered: "_My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow."_

Sam again: "_Well, get you gone. A Thursday be it then._

_Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed,_

_Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day,_

_Farewell, my lord. Light to my chamber, ho!_

_Afore me, it is so very late that we_

_May call it early by and by. Good night."_

Our class sat in shocked silence, the waves of emotion from the scene rolling over them. They could feel the true emotions that Jake harbored for me through is acting…making the entire dialogue seem very _realistic._ I felt that I was Juliet, who simply wanted her Romeo and not Paris. Alice and Jasper were very good at playing double-sided, meddling parents (**A/N: Read Romeo and Juliet if you don't think her parents are two-sided! Come on: they say how much they love her and then sell her to the highest bidder!…Sorry strong feelings on that subject!) **The silence lasted for a long minute before we began to clap again. Miss Boechline smiled to herself again. Those "secret" smiles were really starting to annoy me. But I had to admit, our class had _talent_. Or maybe Miss Boechline wasn't one of those blind teachers, maybe she saw what was going on and managed to connect that to Romeo and Juliet…I don't know where the thought came from, but suddenly her smiles were starting to make a little bit more sense.

The bell rang before I could continue my thoughts.

**So…what did you think?? Do you like Jake in it??? PLEASE review!!!**


	6. Stubborn Fire

**YAY!!! Thank you **_**all**_** for the incredibly awesome reviews!!! Sorry it's been a while but school has been **_**crazy**_** (to an extreme!). Oh yeah, thanks to anyone who commented on Jake being in here and I've decided to keep him (most people wanted him in here for the drama!) What kind of a play would Romeo and Juliet be without Paris? Anyway, keep reviewing and enjoy the next chapter!!Chap. 6:**

**Edward's POV (And he's JEALOUS!!!)**

I couldn't believe his guts! Jacob Black was _flirting_ with my Bella! He had walked up to her during class and winked at her. He acted as if Bella was _his_! I guess it was another one of those cases where the guy doesn't even realize what he had until it's been taken from him. But there was _no way_ that I was going to let Jacob Black take my Bella!!! I had never felt so protective of anything in my life.

Jacob had finished his discussion with Leah Clearwater and Sam Uley (who were playing Bella's parents Lord and Lady Capulet). Leah and Sam were pretty cool. They both lived on the La Push reservation but like a lot of Quileute kids they had special permission to attend Forks High, because Forks had a better school. Nearly all the kids from La Push were great; they were nice and funny and smart, but they had the tendency of sticking together in one big group. But once you got to hang out with them, you ended up really liking them.

The bell rang. I noticed Miss Boechline smiling at me and nodding towards the door as Bella nearly flew through the air to get out of the classroom. Running that fast for Bella was incredibly dangerous. I caught her elbow as she was about to trip and fall face-first into a locker.

"How do you _do_ that?" she asked, her eyes wary but puzzled.

"Do what?" I asked, laughing on the inside.

"Get here right as I'm about to fall?" she clarified, still a bit unsure about me.

"Just pure luck," I told her.

"Well, thanks," she said and began to walk towards her locker.

I noticed the jerk Mike Newton had his foot stuck out right in Bella's path. I shot a look at him, that caused him to pull his leg back in. I ran to catch up with Bella.

"Why are you mad at me?" I asked her softly.

"I'm _not_!" she hissed at me, her back still turned against me.

"You are and I want to know why," I persisted.

"Look, Edward, I appreciate you catching me before I trip and I _told_ you that, but I have class to get to," she retorted, slamming her locker shut as she turned to walk away.

"But your mad at me," I told her, finding the whole facedown very amusing.

"No," she said, lying through her teeth.

"Somehow, I don't believe you," I countered.

"You don't have to believe me," she told me, her eyes were now full of a stubborn fire, "But I said I'm not mad at you, and I'm not going to change my story."

She turned her heel and stomped away. _That _was the girl that I was beginning to love, the girl who was stubborn and fiery and who didn't change her mind just because some guy wanted her too.


	7. The Plot and The Klutz

**Thank you to all who reviewed so quickly!! And I would like to apologize for the cliffhanger!!! : ) Anyways, enjoy…and REVIEW!!! Disclaimer: I don't own any Twilight characters or Romeo and Juliet…I do however own a copy of both and the idea for this story!!!! : )**

**Chap 7:**

**Miss Carolyn Boechline's POV: **

Everything was working out perfectly. Most students assume that teachers turn a blind eye to their everyday dramas, but I find it quite amusing. They especially don't understand how easy they are to decipher, I got a lot of 'gossip' out of a single class. When Mr. Southerland and I discussed our next book for the curriculum and he told me it was Romeo and Juliet, I was thrilled. One of the most obvious tid-bits, as my family and I call information, was the attraction that Edward Cullen felt to the shy but pretty Bella Swan and vice versa. I didn't even know if the two of them realized it yet, I had seen Bella cut Edward in the halls many times, but it was obvious to me. 

It was so amusing to watch, watching Bella became one of my favorite pass times in class. She was trying so desperately to hate Edward, that it never even occurred to her that she could do something else. And Edward, I could see that he missed his childhood friend. Nearly unconsciously he protected her; from bullies and from herself; and he never even realized that he did.

And when they read their lines together for the first time, I was convinced. Bella was naturally shy, but as soon as she started reading to Edward…she _became_ the childish, lovesick Juliet and Edward was her Romeo. Edward must have recognized his feelings then, because his eyes were glued to her for the rest of the class. 

I had congratulated myself for the uncanny ability to cast roles that, based on my observations in class, were beyond perfect for the people involved. And Jacob Black just added to the mix. He had loved Bella for so long, even she was able to ignore it. They used to be friends, but within a single day they stopped talking to each other. He was the perfect Paris, desperate for Juliet to be his and blind to her love for Romeo. I knew Jake would play the part well, he was after all in love with the girl who was playing Juliet.

The after school rehearsals were _ingenious_, if I do say so myself. I had gone out the night before to get costumes for the kids in the play (with the help of Edward's twin Alice, who had an uncanny ability to remember every person's clothing size and the colors that looked nice on them) and we had found the perfect costume for Bella. Bella was one of those girls who was effortlessly pretty, but was too modest to recognize it. Her jeans and a t-shirt look was simple and suited her. Alice and I found a dress that was in every way perfect, when she walked out I knew it was meant for her. It flattered her: it left her pale shoulders bare, clung to her until her hips where it fanned out, it made her look delicate and almost doll-like and it made her big brown eyes come alive. 

I knew it was perfect when she stepped out onstage to meet Edward. His eyes had grown wide and he had stared at her for so long that I was _nervous_. He had looked almost like a dreamer standing there with Bella, and their first kiss had been so sweet…so perfect. And then he had kissed her again, and this time he kissed her until he needed to breath again. They were both flushed as I led them off the stage, to change into their normal clothes.

But something had happened, that threatened to undo the careful work that I had put into making the two lovers come together and I was desperate to figure out what.

**Bella's POV**

Edward had followed me out of English, he had caught my as I was falling (only later did I realize how deadly that fall could have been). But then he had to ruin it by following me! In English I had realized that Edward and I would be friends, and nothing more. I knew it was hopeless to try to hate him again, he was too nice for that, and I figured that at least we could be friends. Everyone would win…a part of the prize. But then he persisted in asking me about why I was mad at him.

I wanted to yell, shout, scream and cry that I was angry and upset because every time I convinced myself that simply being friends would be all right, he went and ruined it. Suddenly, hatred seemed the best way to proceed.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, the day was over and I was packing my bag to go to rehearsal. I whirled around and came face-to-face with the exact person that I was thinking of.

"What?" I asked coldly, trying me best to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

"I was headed to the auditorium and I thought we could walk together," he told me, which was the biggest lie I had ever heard.

"You're lying!" I hissed, as I continued to stuff books into my backpack.

"What if I am?" he asked smiling down at me, "If you want the truth, I just wanted to escort a pretty girl to the auditorium."

"Who?" I asked, really confused by his conversation.

He laughed, "You!"

I blushed and slammed my locker shut. I didn't answer, but I knew that he took the hint.

The silence felt awkward so I blabbered about the first thing that came to mind…Miss Boechline.

"Doe Miss Boechline's behavior strike you as odd?" I asked him.

"In what way?" he asked, his green eyes appeared to be deep in thought.

"Well you know how she keeps smiling at the oddest times…what if she knows that Jake loves me?" or that I am starting to love you, I added to myself.

"I don't know," Edward asked, "It's hard to miss." I could hear the jealousy in his voice.

"Wait, are you jealous of Jake?" I asked him, all my old thoughts forgotten.

"What…no!" he scoffed, with a little too much emphasis on the no.

"Edward is jealous! Edward is jealous!" I taunted. I began to skip backwards as I sang, something that is a bit too dangerous for me. 

"Bella! No!" I heard Edward scream, but it was too late. I was falling, and then there was a sharp pain…everywhere. Thankfully, everything went black.**Edward's POV:**

I had never felt so guilty in my entire life. I was having a good time with Bella, and her teasing proved to me that she could possibly have some feelings for me beyond friendship. But then she fell, I never should have let her skip _backwards_ while singing…it was difficult even for the least klutzy, but for Bella it was deadly. 

I had carried her to the auditorium after she passed out, terrified by the odd way her wrist was sticking out. A large bump had begun to form on her forehead and I was worried that she had a concussion. When she saw Bella, Miss Boechline immediately pulled out her cell phone.

"Edward, she's going to be ok," she whispered to me while she waited for the call to connect, "Yes, hi…I have a student who knocked herself unconscious…an ambulance would be _wonderful_…" Miss Boechline was being very sarcastic, one of her tendencies, "Well sir I told you that I have an unconscious student and you felt the need to ask me if you needed to dispatch an ambulance. I wouldn't have called if I didn't...yes I see…her name is Isabella Swan, 10 minutes you say? Alright, bye." 

She hung up the phone and smiled at me, "If all cops are that dumb it's no wonder there's so much crime."

I nodded, "You do know Bella's dad is a cop…right?" I asked.

"Aw! Crap Edward!" she cursed, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

I laughed, honestly I enjoyed seeing our calm teacher so flustered. 

"I'll call Charlie," I volunteered, I placed Bella on the stage as I began to rummage through her bag. I found the phone and quickly scrolled through her contacts until I found 'Dad'.

It rang for a while until Charlie finally picked up, "Bells?" he asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Mr. Swan?" I asked him, "It's Edward Cullen, Carlisle's son."

"I know who you are!" Charlie snapped, "Just tell me why your on my daughter's cell."

"Well sir, Bella was skipping backwards and…she fell and it looks like she broke her wrist. She's unconscious so I'm pretty sure she knocked her head pretty hard," I stammered.

"WHAT?" Charlie bellowed into the phone, "My daughter did WHAT?"

"Bella knocked herself unconscious," I told him.

There was silence on the other end until Charlie began to laugh hysterically.

"Now don't think I'm not concerned about my daughter," he gasped, "But this is just about the _worst_ scrape that girl has ever got herself into. I always knew this would happen…" He was still choking with laughter.

"I have to go," I told him, hearing the ambulance sirens, "The ambulance is here…we'll meet you at the hospital?"

"Sure," Charlie told me, "Take good care of my Bella."

"I will Mr. Swan," I told him, feeling very guilty, "I will."

**Ok, I think that this is where the chapter should end, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger…again. It's just that they keep you all reading. I'll post again ASAP, but let me know what you think about this…did you like Miss Boechline's POV??? Review please!!!**


	8. In the Hospital

**YAY!!! Special thanks to everyone who reviewed (and there were a LOT of you)!!!! : ) I'm sorry that I can't respond to each of you individually but please know that every review is very much appreciated!!! School has been crazy, so I'm really sorry about how long it took to update!!!**

**Chap. 8:**

**Bella's POV:**

I woke up in a scarily white room that was too _sterile_. I silently cursed myself, I had been here too often; the nurses even joked that they kept it open for me. I looked around, knowing that Charlie would be there and winced slightly at the pain that filled my head. I lifted my left hand to touch it and gasped aloud at the thick cast that reached my elbow. The cast itself didn't scare me, I'd had worse injuries in my short life, it was the _color_ that caused me to gasp. It had to be Alice, only Alice would chose florescent pink as the color for my cast…only Alice.

I glanced around the room that the nurse's always teased me about being my own personal hospital room. I practically jumped out of my skin when I saw that _Edward_ was fast asleep in the chair beside my bed. He looked tired, there were dark circles under his eyes and even in his sleep he looked tense. He probably wanted to be anywhere else, but Miss Boechline probably made him stay. I glared at his sleeping figure and wished that he just wasn't that good looking, it would be easier to hate someone who didn't make your heart race and cause you to forget what you were thinking.

Thankfully, Charlie walked in right then.

"Bells you're awake!" he sounded happy and I noticed that he to had circles under his eyes and a few more wrinkles.

I smiled, "Why do you sound so surprised?" I asked him.

"Well you've been passed out for about 10 hours sweetie," Charlie told me, coming to sit on the edge of my bed, "Gave us quite a scare…" he nodded at Edward, "The boy was on the verge of a breakdown when he called me. You sure have him wrapped around your finger Bells!" Charlie chuckled and patted my leg.

"Your exaggerating, Dad," I told him rolling my eyes, "Edward was just scared that he'd get in trouble."

Charlie looked at me, amusement filled his voice, "Bella, tell yourself what you will, but Edward is here because he _wants_ to be…the boy wouldn't sit here for anyone."

I sort of understood Charlie. Edward and I were sort of friends, friends who often came to blows (verbal of course) over nearly everything we ever discussed. But we were friends, and as my friend he would feel concern on the fact that I _had_ in fact injured myself while teasing him. But Edward, being Edward, was utterly unpredictable and confusing to nearly everyone who attempted to figure him out. Edward did things for reasons that would never occur to you or perhaps seem to odd.

I looked at him again, this time smiling. Charlie had me convinced. Edward was here because he wanted to. No teacher, even one as amazing as Miss Boechline, could convince Edward to do something that he didn't want to do. Charlie laughed as he followed my gaze and noted my smile.

"He really likes you Bells," he whispered, "And I can't believe this but maybe you should give the guy a chance."

I looked at him, "So I should let him be my friend?" I summed up his statement.

"Well, something like that," Charlie said, looking a bit uncomfortable, "I'm going to find Dr. Cullen and tell him you're awake."

I nodded and laid back down, "But not for long," I whispered.

Charlie nodded and practically ran to the door.

"Bye Daddy!" I managed to say above a whisper. I hadn't called Charlie 'daddy' in years and it caused him to turn around.

"Bye sweetheart," he told me, "I love you, you know?"

I nodded and this time he left. My head sagged to the pillow, I was utterly exhausted and my wrist was starting to hurt. I looked at Edward and smiled to myself as I drifted off to sleep.

**Edward POV:**

I awoke from the "nap" that my dad and Chief Swan had convinced me to take to the sound of Bella's moan. My head immediately snapped to the little ball that she had curled herself into on the bed. She was curled around her arm.

I got out of the chair, feeling a little stiff from sitting so long, and walked to the edge of her bed as silently as I could. She was curled in the ball and was cradling her arm in her good hand. Silent tears were pouring down her cheeks and she was biting her lip to keep from crying out. I sat beside her and placed a hand on her upper arm (the good one). She turned to face me and I began to wipe tears from her eyes.

"It's ok Bella," I told her, trying to keep my voice from shaking. My gosh, I had done this to her…if I had only grabbed her faster, it all kept running through my head. "I'll get a nurse and they'll make it go away…alright?"

She nodded and croaked, "I rolled over on it, it hurts so bad Edward."

I nodded, "I can imagine…you know I never said that I was sorry."

She looked at me puzzled, "What are you sorry for?"

"For letting you get hurt," I told her, utterly sincere.

"Edward," she began, sounding just as serious if not more so, "This is not your fault, you know I'd get hurt anyway even if you weren't there…I do it often enough."

I gritted my teeth, "But I _do_ know Bella and that makes me responsible. It is my responsibility to protect you whenever I'm near you."

She laughed, "Charlie was right…" she sounded slightly shocked.

"About what?" I asked.

"You _do care_," she told me and before I could speak again she added, "You do want to be my friend."

I chuckled, "It took you long enough, of _course_ I want to be your friend Bella," I told her, adding 'and perhaps something more' to myself, "I really like you Bella.

It wasn't lying exactly, it was just selecting the important facts that she needed to know. She rested her head on the pillow again and sighed, her eyes closing. I got up as silently as I could and walked out of her room.

My dad's girlfriend, Esme Hale, was on duty. Esme was quite well off, she had made a fortune as an interior designer and had married a wealthy man. After his death, Esme had retired and gone to nursing school. Soon she was working at the Forks Hospital and it was there that she met Carlisle. Esme had wanted to nurse because her husband, Ryan Hale, had died of leukemia. Esme felt that she had to do _something_, to help people who were ill and that motivated her to achieve all honors in the school.

"Hi Esme," I said.

"Edward!" she said, genuinely happy to see me and I was actually happy to see her as well, which you would never expect from a kid who was speaking with he dad's girlfriend but Esme was genuine and that made a guy like her. "You're awake! Your dad asked me to keep an eye on you!" she winked

I nodded and chuckled a little, "I'm here about Bella…she just woke up, she told me she rolled onto her wrist and she was in a _lot_ of pain."

Esme looked at me her eyes lighting up, "So Carlisle was right," she said more to herself than to me, "You _do_ like her."

I blushed and looked down, "Actually I think I love her."

Esme nodded, she was the kind of person who wouldn't push you to reveal more or even tease you about what you revealed, "I'm sure you do…but Edward be careful, Charlie Swan _is _a police officer so he _does_ have guns at home."

I laughed, "Alright…and you'll check on Bella, right?"

She nodded, "In fact I'll go right now."

After thanking her, I walked to the nearly empty lobby and looked around for a vending machine and a coffee maker. Finding both, I bought a granola bar and bag of cookies and filled a mug of coffee. It was going to be a long night, there was no way I'd be sleeping with Bella in so much pain.


	9. He Love MeHe Loves Me Not

**Chap. 9:**

**Bella's POV**

**Thank you for all the reviews and I'm terribly sorry about how long it took me to write this!!!! : )**

I woke up, again in the scary hospital room. All my life, hospitals had been instilled in my head as a place that was filled with pain. I never had the positive connections, like seeing a baby brother or sister in the window of the nursery, instead I remembered it as the place I went the first time I fell off my bike (first, second, third…etc with and without training wheels). I was relieved when I got the "all clear" signal from Esme Hale, who I soon found out (through the hospital gossip chain) was engaged to Edward and Alice's father. I liked Esme a lot, she was kind, caring and always had a smile on her face.

All of the hospital staff insisted that I was wheeled out in a wheel-chair by Charlie. It was from the embarrassing position of a _wheel-chair_ that we passed Edward. Seeing us, he turned around and followed us out of the hospital.

"Hey Bell!" he said, very cheerily, "Chief Swan."

"Hi," Charlie and I both said.

"So you've officially been released?" Edward asked, restating the obvious.

"No, they're transferring me to the Swan Hospital," I joked, smiling up at Edward.

Charlie glanced at us and gestured for Edward to push the chair. Edward did so with just a moment's hesitation. And Charlie walked away, mumbling something about getting a cup of coffee or a donut, I couldn't really understand him.

As Charlie walked away, Edward crouched down in front of me. He gently touched the rather large bump on my forehead.

"Man, that must hurt," Edward said, smiling down at me.

"I've had worse," I told him, smiling.

"Can I sign it?" he asked.

"My forehead?" I asked again, only slightly joking.

Edward gently knocked my arm, "Your cast silly!"

I laughed with him before I replied, "Sure, but-"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Edward whipped out a brand new pack of Sharpees and carefully began to draw his name in bubble-letters in all the colors of the rainbow. Around it, he drew all kinds of crazy doodles. Then, he smiled up at me and I could have sworn that my heart stopped beating. I never realized how truly devastating Edward Cullen's smile was, it was sort of crooked, but that only made it more perfect.

"What do you think?" he asked, placing my arm with the cast back on my lap.

"It's perfect," I whispered and then I turned a very deep shade of red. Suddenly, I realized that I was flirting with Edward, and he very well might have been flirting with me. Thankfully, Charlie came stepping around the corner his hands in his pockets. Saved by my dad? I was seriously the anti-teenager.

Charlie and I said a polite goodbye to Edward, who replied very formally and soon we were driving home. Now my dad was never much for small-talk, but something about the particular situation caused him to broach the dating subject.

"So…you and Cullen?" Charlie asked.

"Of course not dad!" I groaned, "Edward and I are just friends. And even if I liked him that way, which I don't, he doesn't see me that way."

"No?" Charlie asked, strangely argumentative, "Bells, I told you last night that the only reason he was sitting in that hospital room all night with you is because he _likes_ you. Baby doll, I'm your dad, but I also know how a young man acts when he's in love…and Edward is certainly acting that way."

I snorted, but Charlie's speech had spiked curiosity in me, "Like how?" I asked, lifting my chin defiantly.

"For the first thing, he looks at you like…like you're the only girl in the world," Charlie began, causing me to blush even though I didn't quite believe him, "And then honey when you were hurt, the poor boy was nearly beside himself, blaming it all on his "reckless behavior"."

I looked at Charlie, "A good friend could do the same!" I nearly shouted, clinging to the one argument I had between sanity and falling in love with Edward Cullen, again.

I must have made Charlie angry because he pulled the car to the side of the road, a completely unnecessary gesture being that a) we were in the town of Forks where 5 cars means morning traffic and b) he was in the cruiser so no one would dare speed in the first place, but Charlie was Charlie and insisted on obeying all traffic rules.

"Bella," Charlie told me, "Do you remember when you were little and you came in from playing at the Cullens, you were about 5 I'd guess now, and you marched up to Rene and told her that you and Edward were getting married?"

_I smiled at the memory, it was one of my favorite from my childhood. Edward and I were at his house for a play-date and Elizabeth (his mom) had left a bridal magazine open on the coffee table in their living room. It wasn't until much later that Edward noticed it though. We had been playing tag in the garden with Alice, his twin, when I had tripped and cut my knee on a rock. Edward had picked me up and carried me inside. While Elizabeth was looking for a band-aide, Alice had told her that it absolutely had to be Barbie, Edward was looking for a way to distract me._

"_Look Bella!" he had exclaimed, picking up the magazine, "This is one of my mommy's wedding books!"_

_I nodded and wiped some tears from my eyes. Edward came to sit next to me and he began to flip through the pages of it, making sure that I could see it. _

"_Oh Bella!" he had said, pointing to a wedding ring, "It's just perfect!"_

_And it was. It wasn't too fancy, nor was it plain. It was elegant, regal…perfect. The band was gold, with tiny blue diamonds on either side of the large diamond that was cut in a circle. It was my dream wedding ring._

_I nodded again and Edward ran out of the living room, in the direction of their playroom. Edward returned with scissors and tape. He carefully cut out the ring and taped it onto my hand._

"_Bella?" he asked, almost shy before adding with the most serious expression, "We're going to get married someday and this will be your ring."_

_When Elizabeth came back I had a ring taped to my hand, a wedding dress taped to my t-shirt and a veil taped in my hair. Edward had a tux taped to his t-shirt and was looking for wedding bands. She gasped at the tattered magazine, but laughed when she saw the two of us. She had, most unfortunately, been carrying a camera so the picture is in both the Swan's and the Cullen's family albums. _

_When she asked us what we were doing Edward had told her, just as seriously as he had told me, "Bella and I are gonna get married Mommy."_

_Elizabeth had laughed, but for the rest of the year Edward and I were "getting married". _

"I remember Dad," I said, still smiling.

"Bella, when Edward told you he wanted to marry you, he was speaking with an honesty and innocence that only children as young as you two were then have. He loved you then and he loves you _now_."

I snorted, "Dad we were _5_ maybe 6, but we didn't know what love is…the same as we don't know what it is now."

Charlie looked at me, his eyes bright with emotion, "Maybe you need to fall in love to find out…just think about it, alright?"

**Review, review, review!!! I was thinking some Bella-Jacob drama in the next chapters…and maybe more from Miss Boechline. Tell me what you think and any suggestions are welcome!!! : )**


	10. Enter Paris

**First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and all of my fans. You guys are seriously AWESOME!!!! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews!! This chapter has a lot of the POV's that you requested…so enjoy!!!! I also wanted to add that there is nothing going on between Bella and Mike-I'm so sorry if I didn't make that clear before.**

**Chapter 10:**

**Bella's POV:**

I was anxious to return to school. The accident had been on Monday, Tuesday I had been basically in a coma and Wednesday both Charlie and Dr. Cullen insisted that I stayed home so that I could be sure that I was alright. Angela had called every day to tell me my homework and she would stop over with books, but missing school made me uncomfortable. After much debate, Charlie finally agreed to take me to school-he still didn't trust me behind the wheel yet.

The day seemed to fly, most likely because I had so much work to make up. Soon, I was sitting in English class and taking notes on Act II of _Romeo and Juliet_. Miss Boechline asked Edward, Jacob and I to stay after.

"As you well know they did not have casts in Renaissance times," she began, smiling at me a little, "Therefore, I have decided to reschedule the show."

Edward smiled at me and I turned very red. I wasn't sure if Miss Boechline noticed because she sort of smiled to herself and then continued her speech to us.

"I was thinking that because our scenes between Romeo and Juliet have been going pretty well, we could try some scenes between Juliet and Paris," she explained.

Edward's smile immediately disappeared, at almost the exact second that Jacob's began. I simply nodded at glanced down at my cast.

"Great!" Miss Boechline clapped her hands, "Rehearsals for Jake and Bella will begin after school today…" she must have noted Edward's frown so she added, "But Edward could sit in if he would like…and then he could drive Bella home…?"

Edward nodded and touched my arm, "If it would be okay with Bella…" he phrased, not quite asking but not accepting either.

I blushed again as I began to nod enthusiastically.

**(AN: And now…the much requested POV…)**

**Miss Boechline's POV:**

I felt a little guilty bringing Jake Black into the picture…but I would feel even more guilty not even giving the boy a chance. It was obvious, even to blind Bella, that Jake fancied himself in love with her. It struck me as unfair that I was throwing Edward and Bella together and not even giving her a choice.

The cast that was now on the poor girl's arm gave me the perfect excuse. I spoke to the principal, Mr. Albright, and Mr. Southerland (the other English teacher) and we all agreed that I could move the date of the play in order to create a "more realistic version than we can offer at the original date", which I used as my argument.

So the play was rescheduled, Jake was getting his chance, and I was nearly positive that things were going to get messy. But I was nearly positive that I could handle any dramas that they might have. I was counting on trivial, teenaged dramas that were so common when I was in high school. Those, I knew, I could manage.

Bella, Jake and Edward were patiently waiting for me after school in the auditorium.

"Should we get into costume?" Bella asked, glancing down at her t-shirt and jeans.

I knew that if I said 'no' then they'd know I was up to something, they definitely weren't stupid.

"Sure, Bella…Jake, why don't you get dressed while Edward and I take out the scripts?" I said, as I began to shuffle through my bag.

Bella went to one side of the stage, and Jacob to the other. I coughed to keep myself from choking when I saw the pure jealousy written all over Edward's face. I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you run to my classroom and get an extra script for yourself…I only brought three," I told him, even though it was a lie. I had in fact brought four scripts, but Edward needed to get out of the theatre before he did something that he would regret.

Edward nodded, and began to jog towards the door. Bella stepped out onto the stage just as he was leaving. I saw Edward turn around, nearly unconsciously, and simply stop in his tracks as he saw her.

Bella saw him too, "Where's Edward going?" she whispered to me.

"He went to go get himself a script, I only brought three," I told her.

She nodded, and slowly walked to the center of the stage. Jake walked out at that moment and a smile broke out on his face. Bella turned to face him and smiled softly. I tossed two of the scripts to Jacob who caught them easily and handed one to Bella.

"Alright," I began, "We'll start from Act IV; Scene I; Lines 20-69"

**Edward's POV**:

I couldn't stand to see her up on that stage with him. I couldn't watch Bella stand on the stage with him as he hit on her. And Jacob Black would not have to act, and I was hoping that Bella wouldn't either. I walked into Miss Boechline's classroom and sat down in the chair behind her desk. I knew for a fact that she had four copies of the play in her bag, but I also knew that I needed to get away from them.

I was starting to realize, all over again, that I was in love with Bella. I used to know it so well, I knew that Bella was meant to be _mine_ and that it was my job to protect her. I could still remember the day my mom died of cancer, the day that Bella began to protect _me_.

_My mom had been suffering from leukemia for a very long time and it was eating away at my dad. He felt so guilty because there was __**nothing**__ left for him to do to help her. They both knew that it was only a matter of time, and I guess that deep down I did too. I was eight years old at the time, and still naïve enough to believe that my mom would stay with me forever. It's funny how a person's perception on death can change. At the time, death was a hazy topic that I barely ever thought of. After my mom's death I realized how __**real**__ death was. _

_It was around Christmas time when the diagnosis went from months to weeks to days. My mom was tired all the time, but she put on a smile and pretended that she was alright. And I fell for it, man did I believe that finally everything I ever wanted was coming true. Christmas day, she fell into a coma. _

_The Swans had known about my mom's condition for a while, and they drove down to meet us at the hospital. Bella had come into the ER waiting room, looking slightly green, but when she saw me she tried to smile. She sat down next to me and handed me a Hershey's bar._

"_They always make me feel better," she said, trying to smile. Bella's parents weren't divorced yet, but both of us had heard their epic fights._

_I tried to smile but I only ended up grimacing. Tears began to run down my cheeks._

"_Why does she have to die?" I asked her._

"_Maybe G-d has bigger plans for her," Bella said, looking very serious, "Like in all those books where the good people die because they are too good to live on earth…I think Elizabeth is one of those people." She smiled at me, Bella had always been a reader and she read books that many 5__th__ graders could barely manage._

_I smiled at her, but the tears kept coming._

"_I guess it doesn't really help right now," she told me, still serious, "But I think it'll make more sense when we get bigger."_

_She stayed next to me all that night. She held my hand and got me tissues. She never complained once. My mom died the next morning and Bella was right beside me when they broke the news to me._

_I didn't go to school for a couple weeks after my mom died, but when I got back kids had already heard the news. I wasn't popular then, not like I am now, and people seemed to find it amusing that my mother had died. I was called a mama's boy and a wuss…and so many other names. But Bella stood next to me and squeezed my hand. She knew me well enough to know when my temper would explode. She stood beside me through it all, and tried to help me get through not only my own pain, but my father's, brother's and sister's pain as well. _

_I had felt as if it was my duty to take all of my family's pain onto myself and it was Bella who showed me that it wasn't. We had come home from school late one day to find Alice collapsed on the floor of the kitchen crying. Emmett had been running off, he could barely stand to remain in the house any longer and Carlisle had begun to work long hours. I started to run over to her, but Bella held me back._

"_Sometimes it helps to cry," she whispered as she led me out of the room, "We should let her be alone…"_

_I looked at her and tried to smile, "It's just hard sometimes."_

_Bella nodded, "I wish I could tell you that I understand…but I can't." she told me._

_It was odd, the young girl with the curly pig-tails and thousands of Barbie dolls had so suddenly grown up to protect her very best friend. _

I smiled at the memory of Bella and picked up one of the copies of Romeo and Juliet from Miss Boechline's desk. If Bella could sacrifice for me, I could sacrifice for her, I thought as I walked back to the theatre.

**Ok…so I am sorry again for how long it took to post this, but I have been having a lot of fun messing around with different points of view. Please let me know if you like the flashbacks and if you'd enjoy more in later chapters…maybe one on their fight freshman year…??? And prepare for more Shakespeare in the next chapter!!!!**


	11. Dancing Around the Truth

**I am SOOOOOO terribly sorry for not updating sooner, the usual excuses of school, research papers and upcoming finals are behind this, but a little over a month left before summer vacation!!! Thank you to all my readers who have been so incredibly patient-you're the best!!!! Prepare for some Shakepeare in this chapter!!! Thank you to all who reviewed…you are the best!!! Keep reviewing!!!! **

**Chap 11:**

**Bella's POV**

I stood on the stage beside Jacob Black and even though we used to be pretty good friends, Jacob was no Edward. Now I truly understood the awkward and nervous feelings that Juliet had felt when she was faced by Paris. Juliet was an immature young girl, true, and Romeo was a silly love-sick boy, but their love was true. Why would they commit suicide if they did not love each other? Miss Boechline's clapping hands effectively shook me out of my thoughts.

"Alright, Bella, Jacob," she began, "Or should I say Juliet and Paris." She laughed at her own joke before she continued, "Let's begin at Act IV Scene I Line 18, but before we begin I want to give you the emotional background for the scene. Bella, you as Juliet love Romeo, you're married to him, but you have been promised to another by your parents. At this time in history your father could _kill_ you for disobeying him, for disgracing him. And Jacob, you are happily oblivious. You see Juliet as a beautiful young girl who is just a bit shy, perhaps not yet ready to let you in. But you love her, as truly as she loves Romeo…making you a bit of a villain in this play, even if you are an unknowing one!" Miss Boechline was smiling at her own wit. She sat down, motioning for us to start.

I glanced down at my script as Jacob began to read.

He began: _Happily met, my lady and my wife._

I smiled at my spunky line: _That my be sir, when I may be a wife._

He countered: _That may be, must be, love, on Thursday next._

I shot back: _What must be shall be_.

Miss Boechline read for Friar Lawrence: _That's a certain text._

Jacob turned to me: _Come you to make a confession to this father?_

I answered: _To answer that, I should confess to you._

Jacob smiled before reading his next line: _Do not deny to him that you love me._

I replied with another witty line: _I will confess to you that I love him. _

_**Him, meaning Edward…Juliet certainly was clever with Paris, but perhaps not in love. Oh G-d, did I really love Edward? Could I love him? And why did Jacob look like he knew?**_

I looked up and saw Edward walk in, his eyes held mine, they looked sad…resigned. Like he was letting go, like he was giving up. I longed to shout to him, to tell him not to give up, to fight for me, to prove to me that I could trust myself with him-and that he wouldn't break me…again. I needed to look away, away from the one person who could ruin my life, who could break me back into the pieces that I had just finished putting together. The same pieces that were beginning to fall apart all over again.

Jacob looked at me, his eyes serious and pleading: _So will ye, I am sure, that you love me._

I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry after seeing that he meant every word: _If I do so, it will be of more price Being spoke behind your back than to your face._

Jacob looked sad now: _Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears._

I tried to avoid his pleading eyes: _The tears have got small victory by that, For it was back enough before their spite._

Jacob became earnest: _Thou wrong'st it more than tears with that report._

I wanted to laugh: _That is no slander, sir, which is a truth, And what I spake, I spake it to my face._

Jacob smiled grimly: _Thy face is mine and thou hast slandered it._

I felt indignant: _It may be so, for it is not my own. Are you at leisure, holy father, now, Or shall I come to you at evening mass?_

Miss Boechline read her lines: _My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now. My lord, we must entreat the time alone._

Jacob turned to me, "_G-d shield I should disturb devotion. Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye. Till then adieu and keep this holy kiss._

He gently kissed my lips, a bit longer than he rightfully should have. In fact, I don't think he would have stopped if Edward hadn't begun to clap loudly.

"Bravo! Bravo, Bella!" He clapped his hands as hard as he could and shouted the words.

I pulled away from Jake feeling confused, maybe a bit like Juliet. If things had been different, well, if _I_ had been different I would have felt more for Jake. And maybe I did, his kiss had been…pleasant. Not tingly and warm like Edward's, but _nice_. I would love to feel more than friendship for Jake, but the truth was friends was all we could ever be…I hoped that would work out. Knowing Jake he would push for more. It was hard to believe that after all the time we'd spent together as children when we had played together while our fathers went fishing, but I guess that's what happens when you're best friends tries to be more than that.

I quickly changed and then walked over to Edward and let him take me off the stage, he was still careful of my cast. I smiled up at him.

"It won't break again," I said laughing quietly, "The plaster is harder than you'd think."

Edward laughed too, "I know, I just feel horrible about what happened and-"

I cut him off before he could continue, "Edward, I told you that it wasn't your fault!"

Edward looked at me before continuing, "You didn't let me finish, and I just want to make sure you don't get hurt again."

I looked at him, all the humor I had felt before was gone, "Look, I appreciate the gesture Edward, I really do. But you have to realize that I can look after myself, Edward. I may injure myself more than I'd prefer, but I haven't killed myself yet!" I smiled at him, trying to put humor back in our conversation.

We walked out to his car together, talking about silly, unimportant things. It was comfortable, neither of us felt the _need _to say anything, we just played a silly game of Remember-When. Neither of us was quite ready yet to discuss our issues with one another, the reasons why our friendship ended.

**Edward's POV**

Walking in and seeing Bella on the stage with that jerk Jacob, was enough to dispel any and all kind thoughts I had had towards him in Miss Boechline's classroom. It was pure torture to watch them up on the stage, knowing that he meant every word that he said and not knowing how Bella felt. I wished that I could read her mind. I longed to know what she was thinking, did she feel anything for Jacob? If she did, I would try to be the better man and let her go, but it would be so hard. I knew that Bella would explain to me that it was her choice and if she decided to go out with Jacob, then I would have to live with it…and I would try-for her sake.

Then the filthy dog leaned in and _kissed_ her, he kissed my Bella. I didn't care at the time that it was part of the script, all that mattered was that he was kissing her and she wasn't moving away. I had to stop it, but I didn't want to be too blatantly obvious.

I clapped my hands loudly. I saw Bella blush and begin to pull away, but Jacob obviously was not ready to break up the kiss.

"Bravo! Bravo Bella!" I shouted as I clapped a bit harder. I was hoping that she would take my 'bravoes' as a compliment for her performance rather than applause for her breaking the kiss, which was why I was in fact clapping.

Jacob glared at me before storming off the stage towards the dressing room. Bella went the other way and returned soon after in her jeans and pink t-shirt. She smiled at me as I helped her off the stage.

"It won't break again," I said giggling, "The plaster is harder than you'd think."

I laughed at her, "I know, I just feel horrible about what happened and-"

Uh-oh, the fire was burning in her brown eyes as she cut me off, saying, "Edward, I told you that it wasn't your fault!"

"You didn't let me finish," I said to her, "-and I just want to make sure you don't get hurt again."

She looked at me, her eyes grave, ""Look, I appreciate the gesture Edward, I really do. But you have to realize that I can look after myself, Edward. I may injure myself more than I'd prefer, but I haven't killed myself yet!"

She looked at me, I could tell by her smile that she wanted us to go back to joking and teasing each other. I allowed her to steer the conversation to shallower water, she began a game of Remember-When. We had a great time recalling the stunts we pulled as kids, but we each censored what we said, making sure that nothing was too serious. Neither of us was ready for that yet, but one of us had to be soon. Bella and I had issues, and if we wanted our friendship, and later possibly more than friendship, to work we had to come to terms with our past. For the better or for the worse, we needed to discuss what happened in 9th Grade.

**Ok, so this is pretty much a filler chapter, with a little bit more Bella-Jacob-Edward drama. The next chapter should be pretty interesting-all your questions about their Big Fight will be answered. And pretty soon we will find out **_**why**_** Miss Boechline is really doing this…**


	12. The Big Fight BPOV

**First off…I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry for not updating sooner. I meant to have it out a long time ago so I'm incredibly sorry!!! WOW, the responses I got to the last chapter were amazing!!!! A million thank you's to everyone who reviewed-you really make my day. This next chapter, as promised, will be all about the "Big Fight"!!! Please read and review!!!!**

**Chapter 12:**

**Bella's POV**

Sitting in the car with Edward, the comfortable, easy conversation made it seem like no time had passed between us. It was like we had traveled back in time, we were more comfortable with each other. It was as if we had skipped the last three disastrous years of high school that had torn us apart. I gazed out my window, my thoughts taking me far away from Edward's warm car to the memories of our first year of high school.

"_Bella!" Charlie called from the kitchen, where he was attempting to make breakfast. Charlie always tried to make me a special breakfast for my first day of school. I always ate cereal on those days. "Isabella Marie Swan! If you don't get down here this instant your eggs will get cold! And you'll make Edward wait!"_

_I groaned, tightening my pony-tail as I took one last glance in the mirror. I looked like me, which was to say I was wearing my usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. I wore no make-up, I never liked the way it made me look. I was me and if people didn't like it then they could deal. Bella Swan changed for no one._

_I raced down the stairs, throwing my new backpack filled with school supplies over my shoulder as I skidded into the kitchen. Of course, being extremely clumsy, I not only slid into the kitchen, but also into my father and our "breakfast"._

"_Oof!" Charlie groaned as he hit the floor, the soggy eggs landing on his pajama shirt. "Well, at least I wasn't dressed yet!" Charlie knew how horrible I felt when I injured people, and myself, so he was constantly trying to joke with me about my accidents._

_I forced a smile as I took the Lucky Charms box out of the cabinet. I slid two bowls onto the table and filled them to the brim with the sugary cereal. Edward slammed in, throwing his new school supplies on the hall floor as he walked into the kitchen._

"_Hey Bells!" Edward said filling his own bowl with milk. I smiled at him, Edward had just hit his major growth spurt and was eating everything in sight. Knowing Carlisle, he had already eaten a full meal at home. _

_Edward had promised to walk with me to school today. He didn't even need to promise, it was an unspoken rule between us, but this year was really important. We were both starting our freshman year at Forks High School and I was terrified. There were so many rumors going around about how the upper classman purposely tortured the freshman and I did not want to be involved in that battle. And so Edward made a big deal of walking with me to school._

_In a town as small as Forks, there was one school bus because nearly all of the kids from school preferred to walk. And the older kids at the high school drove. Edward and I had almost always chosen to avoid the school bus, mainly due to his fear of germs. And of course with our over-protective, single fathers; even in elementary school we were driven to school daily. Being dropped off in a police cruiser always earned the two of us quite of bit of teasing on the playground that I always resented. _

_But now we were older. No longer could Charlie drop me off at school without me becoming the laughing stock of the entire school. Which would not be pretty. So I was stuck with Edward, not that I was really complaining because he was my best friend._

_Edward finished gulping down his cereal and began to get ready to leave. We rinsed our bowls out in the sink and stuck them in the dishwasher before heading out the door._

"_So what classes do you have?" Edward asked me, as I rooted through my 'Take Home Folder' looking for my all important schedule._

"_First period I have Honors Geometry," I told him, triumphantly holding my pristine schedule._

"_Wow, Bella your so smart!" Edward exclaimed, "You skipped Algebra 1 that stupid little me has to take!"_

_I smacked his arm at that comment. "Edward, you're plenty smart yourself…you just lack motivation!" I told him._

_He smiled at me, blushing a little bit. Edward was the student who most teachers classified as a slacker. He never did his homework, at least he avoided doing it as much as he could behind Carlisle's back._

_Soon we were standing in front of the high school. The building, though small, was rather intimidating. Groups of teenagers marched nonchalantly into the building, not even thinking about the possible doom they were subjecting themselves to. _

"_Edward! Bella!" Alice called from a corner where she was happily talking to her other brother Emmett and two new kids. "Come here!" When we reached their group she began to happily make the introductions. "Jasper, Rosalie; this is my brother Edward and our friend Bella."_

_The two nodded politely. They had to be twins. They looked so much a like and seemed to know each other well._

"_Where are you from?" I asked them shyly._

"_We just moved here from L.A." Jasper told me, but his attention was focused solely on Alice._

"_Our mom got offered a position at Forks Hospital. Since our dad…passed away, it's been difficult emotionally and financially to live in LA," Rosalie added._

_I nodded sympathetically. I knew very well how people had to scrape together enough money to get by. Things were a little difficult for Charlie, being the Chief of Police in a town as small as Forks was not exactly a high paying job._

_Edward and I said our goodbyes and hurried into the school. He knew how eager I was to find my locker and prepare for my classes. He often teased me about my OCD with school._

"_Bella, I'm going to go now," Edward said, glancing around the quickly filling hallway. "I really need to get to my class early and its across the school from yours…but I'll meet you at lunch, 'kay?" _

_I nodded and watched him walk down the hallway. It never occurred to me then that he might be _embarrassed_ by me, by his nerdy friend. But I guess he was. Edward made a lot of excuses that year. Like the second day of school when he made the lacrosse team._

"_Wow Edward!" I said smiling at him as he told me the big news. He seemed a little nervous but I just assumed he was worried about how I'd react. "You made the Varsity team your freshman year…that's…wow!"_

_He smiled at me, but it was forced. "So you're okay with this?" he asked._

"_Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, confused._

"_Well I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with you anymore Bells," he began to explain the demands. "I'll have practice after school every day 'til pretty late. And then I'm sort of expected to sit at their lunch table. So I wouldn't really see you during or after school."_

"_Of course you would!" I told him, happily planning to sacrifice a little of my time for him. "I'll just go to the library after school to do my homework and then we can walk home together. And I don't think it would be too much of a problem for me to sit with you and your new friends at lunch."_

"_But Bella, you can't" Edward said, emphasizing the 'can't'. "I couldn't let the guys see me walking home with you…they'd think you're my girlfriend or something. And the lunch table is sort of an exclusive 'Jock's only' table…you wouldn't be…comfortable there." He seemed to try to convince himself that what he was saying was true._

"_Edward Anthony Cullen, if you're embarrassed by me you should have just told me," I snapped at him. "I'm sorry that I humiliated you and don't worry; I'll take care of the problem-you don't have to worry about me embarrassing you anymore."_

_I turned on my heel and ran away from him. I ran all the way home. I ran until my cheeks were red and sweat was running down my face. I ran until I could run no more, until I almost forgot how to breath. _

_I cried myself to sleep that night because I lost the one thing in my ever-changing life that I had always considered to be a constant. I lost my best friend who had stood by my side for so many years. _

_But I never let on. I never let Edward see how much his rejection hurt me. And I think that's why I hated him the most; because he not only made me hurt, but he forced me to hide the pain._

A singletear fell from my eyes, rolling softly down my cheek.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked, looking at my eyes which I could only assume were filled with sorrow.

"Nothing," I answered, a little too quickly to sound honest. "I was just thinking is all."

Edward nodded knowing not to push the subject. He started the car and began to drive me home.

**Ok…I know I was horrible with not updating sooner and I promise to try harder in the future. But PLEASE review…they really do help me to get the next chapter out faster!!! And thank you so much for reading!!! Have a great rest of your summer!!!**


	13. The Big Fight EPOV

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it and I am so sorry, but this summer has been crazy! Thanks again to all my loyal readers!**

**Chapter 13:**

**Edward's POV**

I was sitting in my car with Bella, just talking. Neither of us was in much of a hurry to go anywhere. Well, at least I wasn't and I was the person with the car keys. So we sat and talked. Our conversation covered nothing serious, but in it we were slowly rebuilding our friendship. That Bella still blamed me for destroying. It all started on our first day of high school.

_I was running late, thanks to Carlisle. He had insisted that I sit down for a full breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Didn't he realize that I had to meet Bella? I jogged quickly down the two blocks that separated our houses. Over the summer I had spent a lot of time in our "Home Gym" that my dad had built, getting in shape. I planned on trying out for the lacrosse team at school. _

_I raced through the Swan's door, letting it slam behind me dropping my school stuff on the floor behind me. I nearly burst out laughing when I saw Charlie walking up the stairs covered in eggs. He nodded at me, giving me the look that screamed "if this leaves this house you're dead!" _

"_Hey Bells!" I said cheerfully as I began on my second breakfast of the day. _

_Even though Bella and I always walked to school together, I made a big deal out of this year. Bella wasn't always good with change and I figured that I could ease her into it. We had been carpooling since we were in elementary school. Back then Bella used to nearly die of embarrassment when Charlie pulled into the school parking lot in his police cruiser. I thought it was pretty cool, but I never would have told her that for anything._

_Bella was one of those intimidating girls from the moment she was born. She always knew what she wanted and how to get it. Those who stood in her way had better watch out, she never backed down from a challenge. That was the girl who I had grown up with. That was the girl who was my very best friend. That was the girl who I could tell anything to. I guess high school does change things, a lot of things. It changed the way Bella saw me. And it changed the way the rest of the school saw the two of us. But of course I did not know that then. Perhaps if I did I would have tried harder, been more careful._

_I swallowed the rest of my cereal in huge gulps. I turned to Bella to see that she too was already done. We rinsed our bowls out quickly, placing them in the dishwasher before heading out the door. _

"_So what classes do you have?" I asked her, watching her dig frantically through her bag._

"_First period I have Honors Geometry," she told me, holding up a sheet of paper with a triumphant smile. _

"_Wow, Bella your so smart!" I exclaimed, feeling proud of my best friend. "You skipped Algebra 1 that stupid little me has to take!"_

_She smacked my arm in response to my comment. "Edward, you're plenty smart yourself…you just lack motivation!" she told me seriously._

_I smiled down at Bella, feeling myself blush a bit. I was a world renowned slacker, according to my father and several teachers. I was smart, got an A on every test without even trying, but I hated homework. I never did it if I could avoid it. Instead, I preferred to turn on ESPN and relax. Bella knew that and she was always trying to get me to take an interest in my grades like she did. She was the smartest person I ever met, and I will probably never meet anyone wiser._

_Soon we were standing in front of the high school. The building, though small, was rather intimidating. Groups of teenagers marched nonchalantly into the building, not even thinking about the possible doom they were subjecting themselves to. _

"_Edward! Bella!" Alice called from a corner where she was happily talking to her other brother Emmett and two new kids. "Come here!" When we reached their group she began to happily make the introductions. "Jasper, Rosalie; this is my brother Edward and our friend Bella."_

_The two nodded politely. They had to be twins. They looked so much a like and seemed to know each other well._

"_Where are you from?" I heard Bella ask them shyly._

"_We just moved here from L.A." Jasper told her, but it was obvious that he only had eyes for Alice._

"_Our mom got offered a position at Forks Hospital. Since our dad…passed away, it's been difficult emotionally and financially to live in LA," Rosalie added, her attention focused on Emmett who was looking happily at her._

"_Dude, that Rosalie chick is hot!" Emmett whispered loudly in my ear. _

_I nodded to him, my attention still on their conversation. Bella was nodding sympathetically towards Rosalie, she knew about how tight money could get since Charlie didn't exactly make much._

"_Bella, I'm going to go now," I said, glancing around the quickly filling hallway. "I really need to get to my class early and its across the school from yours…but I'll meet you at lunch, 'kay?" _

_Bella nodded to me and I walked away, high-fiving my friends as I passed them. We were all eager for the lacrosse tryouts, it was well known in Forks that the lacrosse players were some of the most popular. I was eager to be popular, and I guess that's what made me blind._

_Tryouts went great, the captains and coaches were so impressed with me that I made Varsity my freshman year. It was huge news and I was eager to tell Bella. After telling her the whole story on our way home the second day of school, she smiled at me._

"_Wow Edward!" she exclaimed, beaming up at me. Bella was so sweet and smart that it made me sad and anxious to tell her the rest of my news. "You made the Varsity team your freshman year…that's…wow!"_

_I smiled at her, but this time it was forced. "So you're okay with this?" I asked._

"_Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, sounding confused._

"_Well I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with you anymore Bells," I began to explain the demands. "I'll have practice after school every day 'til pretty late. And then I'm sort of expected to sit at their lunch table. So I wouldn't really see you during or after school."_

"_Of course you would!" she told me, smiling happily as she began to make plans for us to be together in her mind. "I'll just go to the library after school to do my homework and then we can walk home together. And I don't think it would be too much of a problem for me to sit with you and your new friends at lunch."_

"_But Bella, you can't" I burst out saying, accidentally emphasizing the 'can't'. "I couldn't let the guys see me walking home with you…they'd think you're my girlfriend or something. And the lunch table is sort of an exclusive 'Jock's only' table…you wouldn't be…comfortable there." I was trying to convince myself that I didn't want Bella to be my girlfriend, that I wanted to date a cheerleader or another amazingly popular girl._

"_Edward Anthony Cullen, if you're embarrassed by me you should have just told me," she snapped at me, taking the blow to her pride hard. "I'm sorry that I humiliated you and don't worry; I'll take care of the problem-you don't have to worry about me embarrassing you anymore."_

_Bella turned on her heel and ran away from me, towards her house. I guess I could have chased after her, and I probably should have. But for a second I thought how much easier it would be if we weren't friends, how much easier it would be if I wasn't friends with a geek. And then it was gone, all I wanted was to be friends again, but Bella took my words to heart and she began avoiding me. She never answered my calls, Charlie was always telling me she was out and soon I just gave up. I would always regret giving up on Bella, but I was young and stupid and thought that it would all go away if I just ignored her too. _

A tear fell from Bella's eyes, making my heart feel heavy. I wondered what she could have been thinking about.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked, looking into her sorrowful eyes. I felt a wave of protectiveness wash over me and I felt the urge to relieve all of her pain.

"Nothing," she answered, a little too quickly to sound honest. "I was just thinking is all."

I nodded knowing not to push the subject. I started the car and began to drive her home, hoping with all my heart that the source of her pain had nothing to do with me.

**Thank you for reading and PLEASE review! Thanks again and good luck to everyone who has started or will be starting school! :( (Which unfortunately includes me. Where does summer go?! haha)**


	14. Mending the Past

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story! You are all amazing and so are the wonderful reviews that I keep getting! So thank you all so so so so so so much! Haha I apologize for the wait (again) but let's just say that all honors classes in High School is a TON of work!**

**Chapter 14:**

**Edward's POV**

How can a person ever fix a past that is so torn up and broken that it seems impossible to ever repair? How can I convey to Bella how truly sorry I am and how truly idiotic my younger self was? How can we ever repair a past filled with pain?

Bella was my best friend and I broke her heart. What kind of friend does that? And for who, the "popular" lacrosse team and various cheerleaders? Bella is worth more to me than all of them a hundred times over. I was so stupid four years ago. I had just assumed that everything would be perfect if I just let Bella go. She was a "nerd" and a "geek", thus part of a low social status. And I had just stood there and let her walk away.

It wasn't until long after, when she was avoiding me and ignoring me, that I realized how truly stupid I was. It was only then that I realized how necessary Bella was to me. She was like the air that I needed to live, the very thing that defined me. Without her my life felt empty and torn apart.

But I could not let her see that. Deluding myself and the entire world, I sealed away my friendship with Bella and my longing to be so much more. Instead of being with her, I became a protector, watching her in the hallway and beating anyone to dared touch her to a pulp. And Bella wondered why no boy in Forks had the guts to ask her out, they all knew that they would have to answer to me. Popularity had its perks for the both of us.

But Bella never knew. She never looked around the school to see why so many boys were afraid to talk to her. She never looked around to see who stopped jerks like Mike Newton from sticking their feet into her path. She never looked around to see who was growing to love her from afar.

"Bella?" I asked, breaking the silence in the car.

"Huh?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Do you ever think about what could have been if I hadn't been such a jerk?"

"All the time," she replied, her eyes filling with tears.

"Don't cry, Bella," I begged, not wanting to see any more proof of the pain I had caused her. "I was a stupid, idiotic and selfish kid. But I'm not him anymore. I don't need to be popular anymore, Bella. Believe me."

While we were talking I had pulled up at her house and turned off the car. Expecting a long talk, I took my keys from

"I-I have to go," she said, her hand frantically groping for the handle.

Wondering what I had said, I ran a hand through my hair, started my car and drove off to my house. Walking in, I almost expected to hear my mom calling me. "Edward!" she used to call as I stepped off the bus. "Edward, honey! How was your day?"

My mom, Mrs. Elizabeth Cullen, had been a stay at home mom. When I came home I would find her in our beautiful gardens or in the kitchen baking. But she always dropped everything for me. We'd sit down at the table and she'd pour us each of glass of milk and put a plate of cookies on the table. And then we'd just sit and talk. Tears filled my eyes when I thought of just another person who I'd lost in my life. First my mom and now Bella, again. And there was nothing that I could do to win Bella back. She'd have to come all on her own. But my patience was growing thin. I had waited nearly three years to have her back and, well, things weren't exactly going according to my plans. We were supposed to be sitting in my little car together, discussing our past to pave the road for the future that I wanted with Bella. What had I done to scare her?

**Miss Boechline POV (as promised!)**

Bella and Edward had left, both of them seeming to be lost in their own thoughts. I hoped to myself that casting Jacob hadn't been such a bad idea after all. The boy, looking dejectedly after them, seemed to know his place in it all.

"Miss Boechline?" he called to me, successfully stopping me in my tracks.

"Yes Jake?" I replied patiently. He strode quickly over to me, his legs and the rest of him, being bigger than me.

"What are you doing? With Bella and Edward and me, I mean."

"You'd better sit down, honey," I said, motioning to one of the faux velvet seats that filled the auditorium. Jacob sat and turned to look at me again. "Look, sweetie I didn't mean to pull you into this at first, but it was just too good to be true! No other teacher would have put up as much resistance as I did! But I am a weaker woman. You see, Bella and Edward have had feelings for one another for a while. Neither one has realized that the other feels the same way. And also, I have reason to believe that something happened between them to estrange them."

"It did," Jacob muttered under his breath. And, with a bit of persuasion he began to speak. "Bella and Edward were inseparable for their entire lives. Freshman year they had this huge blowup and haven't spoken to one another since. Until now. Until you."

"Yes, well that's where things get complicated. You see, Edward has always loved Bella and he is just coming to terms with that. And he's okay with it so far. But Bella, though she has always loved Edward and is also realizing her feelings, she's scared. You can see in her face how afraid she is of losing someone she loves so dearly again. That's where I come in. _Romeo and Juliet_ is meant to give Edward and Bella the push that they so desperately need in order to become an…how do you kids say it? An 'item'."

"Well where do I come in?" he asked me, looking a bit confused.

"That's the mean part. It's obvious that you have feelings for a certain Miss Swan as well. And though I have no intentions of adding you to my romance drama, even if you are simply helping from afar, I'm afraid that I couldn't resist casting you as Paris. The emotions that you two share are so real that it was too tempting to pass up on a chance for such heartfelt acting."

"Wow!" Jacob exclaimed. "And all of us think that you teachers don't notice a thing! That we could just drop dead and you'd all just keep on teaching! I promise not to stand in your way. I don't want to be the bad guy here. I'll see you around Miss B!"

Sighing at my new nickname, I walked out the door and began to shut off the lights. But I could not help but take one last peek at the stage. I could see the scenery that the art department kids were painting so diligently in it's places and Edward and Bella portraying two of the world's most famous lovers.

I guess this proves that we teachers aren't so blind after all.

**Please R&R! Should Miss Boechline have a romance as well? Sorry 'bout the delay!**


	15. People Never Change

**Hi everyone! I am so sorry that it's been so long, but my computer broke and I almost lost all my files! As you can obviously tell my dad's amazing tech guy was able to extract them from my hard-drive! Technology is EVIL… I am very sorry for the delay!**

**Chapter 15:**

**Bella's POV**

I ran into the house. I could not believe that Edward had the nerve to dredge up our past that way! Just out of the blue! And then expect me to sit down and have a full conversation about it. The nerve! Fumbling with my keys, I finally unlocked the door and rushed into the house, more eager to be away from _him_ than to be out in the cold.

I threw off my heavy rain-coat, not even bothering to hang it up and kicked off my shoes. Leaving them all in a wet pile I raced up the narrow stair case and made it to my bedroom without a single bruise. I guess panic helps the uncoordinated. Digging through my backpack, I unearthed my cell phone and quickly punched in "5", Angela's speed dial.

"_Hey Bells!"_ Angela said, answering my call.

"Hey, Ang. I'm really sorry to bother you now but I need some serious girl talk. Are you busy?"

"_Of course I'm not busy, Bella! Just go ahead and start talking. When you're finished let me know and we'll talk."_ Angela was the best listener I knew, always patient and never turning the conversation to herself.

"Okay, so you know how Edward drives me home from play practice?" Angela "um-hmed" in response. "Well today I get in the car and I just start thinking about everything that happened between us freshman year, the way he totally dropped me. And he must have been thinking about that too because when we pull up at my house he tells me how sorry and how stupid he is and that he wants to talk. 'Talk' he said, as if that could ever fix the past! And now, now I'm so confused and I just don't know what to say. Heck, I don't even know what I should feel. Should I be happy that he's back? Should I be pissed that he thinks all those years of hurt are going to just go away?"

After a few minutes Angela began to speak, she never rushed these things and always took her time to give me the best advice she could.

"_Look, Bella, I'm just going to tell you the way that I see things based off of what you've told me and what I've personally observed."_ Angela, ever the scholar._ "You and Edward were both thinking about that year back in the car because you both regret it. And Edward, he doesn't think that it's all going away. At least not as far as I can tell. He knows that what happened then will never go away and he can never ask you to forget. All he can do is ask you to move forward with him because like it or not those things did happen and they shaped you as people."_

"Angela Weber, thank you!" I exclaimed into the phone. "And you are going to make the world's best psychologist!"

Laughing, we both spent another half hour or so discussing books and gossiping. Hey, even the nerds like a bit of gossip on occasion.

"_Did you hear that Mr. Southerland likes Miss Boechline?"_ Angela asked me, completely catching me off guard.

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed. "He like-likes her?"

"_Yup!"_ she told me, proudly popping the 'p'. _"But he won't ask her out, he's too shy."_

"Wow," I gasped, I just never saw Miss Boechline dating anyone. She was just a teacher to me. But then again, I could definitely see her with Mr. Southerland.

"_I __**know**__!"_ Angela giggled. _"It's so shallow, but they'd be incredibly cute together."_

"Ang," I replied, laughing at the thought, "You could never be shallow! You're the smartest person I know."

"_I wonder if all the other kids think about us like this,"_ Angela puzzled.

"Think of us like what?" I asked, confused.

"_Like two giggling teenage girls gossiping about random stuff."_

"Probably not," I replied, giggling harder at the thought. "They probably assume we talk for hours about trig and calculus."

"_Yes, Bella I've been dying to know where you got that amazing calculator,"_ Angela teased.

"I got it at that new math supply store at the Port Angeles Mall, its right next door to the Borders."

"_Did you just make fun of a __**book**__ store?"_ Angela asked me in shock.

I was considered the school bookworm. "I guess I did," I replied.

"_Will wonders never cease?"_

Hearing a car pull into the driveway, I glanced at the clock and gasped. It was five o'clock. I had to cook supper for Charlie and myself and finish all of my AP homework.

"Ugh, Ang I've gotta go," I grumbled into the phone.

"_I figured," _she replied, chuckling a little. _"But I expect a full report about your decision with Edward tomorrow. And remember, give him a chance. I think you both deserve it."_

"Thanks again," I said, gratefully.

"_No problem. Bye Bella."_

"Bye, Ang."

I hung up the phone and pulled out my school planner, carefully planning my evening. An hour for calculus, a half hour to memorize some _Romeo and Juliet _lines, forty-five minutes for physics, and twenty minutes on a history paper. I finished the history paper quickly and then raced down the stairs to start dinner. Charlie looks up, startled from the corner where he was murmuring into the phone.

"Look, I've gotta go now. Please don't call here again," he tried to whisper, but I heard him anyway.

"Dad, who is that?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew who it was.

"No one," Charlie blundered. "Wrong number. So, um, what're you making for dinner?"

"I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs tonight, I have a lot of work," I said, allowing him to change the subject.

We went through our evening routine that night, same as always. I made dinner, which we ate in silence. Then Charlie turned the TV onto ESPN and I hurried upstairs to finish up my schoolwork. At exactly nine o'clock a got into the shower. Afterwards, I wrung my hair out and pulled it into a messy ponytail on the top of my head. My flannel pajama bottoms and oversized t-shirt were cozy, though not something I would be caught dead in. I settled into my bed, a warm glow cast over me from my reading lamp, and began to read and relax. Being a girl who clung to her routines, I put my book down at promptly ten o'clock and turned off my lights. Pulling the covers over me, I tried to get warm again.

I must have fallen asleep, because an hour later sleet tapping against my window violently jerked my from my dreams. I found myself walking towards the window. Oddly enough for Forks, it was not raining outside. Instead Edward Cullen was standing beneath my window, throwing pebbles at it.

Irrationally, I felt so angry at him. Looking back on it, I should have felt touched, but at the time I was simply angry. I jerked my window open and glared down at him.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed at him, rubbing my sore wrist, in my anger I had forgotten the cast on my arm.

He looked up at me, his eyes holding a determination that I had never seen before. "Please Bella," he begged, looking adorably retentive. "We need to talk. I-I-I can't let our friendship fall apart again. Not after I finally got you back. Whatever you're afraid of, just tell me. I'll take care of it, I promise."

More and more anger filled me. He had the audacity to come to my house, beg my forgiveness and pretend to not know what I feared. I couldn't take it anymore.

"You want to know why I'm holding back, Edward? Do you really want to know?" I asked in my most acidic tone.

Edward didn't notice for he continued gazing up at me. "Yes," he murmured, "More than anything Bella. Please tell me."

"Fine, I'm afraid of _you_, Edward. Three years ago, you destroyed me. And I only just got myself back. I can't be totally open to you because I'm afraid of what you'll do to me all over again."

"Alright," Edward said, a smile breaking out over his face. "That's not as bad as I thought. I can change, Bella. I'll promise you that I will never again hurt you and we can be friends again."

"No, Edward," I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. "You can't change. No one can change so completely."

With those words echoing through the air, I slammed my window shut and sank to the ground sobbing.

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" I heard Edward shouting from the yard. I didn't have the energy to warn him about Charlie, who burst into my room waving a baseball bat above his head.

"Bella, sweetheart, what's going on?" Charlie panted, when he saw me on the floor.

"Nothing dad," I whispered. "Just…girl stuff. Please, can we just leave it at that?"

The 'girl stuff' line always worked wonders on my dad, immediately he began nodding violently and changed the subject.

"And Cullen on the front lawn?"

"Just leave it, he'll be gone soon enough."

Nodding, Charlie gave me a kiss goodnight and left. However, he pointedly left the bat in my room.

**Okay, so what do you think? Was Bella's reaction justified? Yet again, I'm sorry it took so long, but I will update ASAP! Please please please please please review!**


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